Friendship
Having friends, being socially connected, and being a friend can be a mental and physical health saver, both to the person who you are helping and to you. Over the years several studies have shown the physical and emotional benefits of having good, solid friendships. One study followed thirty four students who were fitted with weighted backpacks and had to estimate the steepness of a hill. Those students who stood with close friends next to them as they climbed the hill.. gave lower estimates of the steepness of the hill. While this study size was fairly small, it still highlights the importance and effect on perception, when someone you care about, and who cares about you, is nearby.
Be thoughtful and don't make assumptions. If you are not sure what someone needs, ask them. Taking a friend who is experiencing a rough time out for coffee or lunch can provide a brief respite from the trouble. It could provide some laughs, and a much needed reminder of good things in their life.
Asking a friend if they want to talk about what they are going through or not, can show them that you are sensitively trying to give them what they feel they might need, not what you think they need or should do. Sometimes you might know, intuitively, but accept the possibility that you might be wrong. Giving a person back some of the control they may feel they have lost can be very helpful.
There are countless ways friends can help make a difficult situation a little bit easier. In helping someone else, we often help ourselves. We can feel useful, we can become more grateful and mindful of things that are going well for us, while at the same time, possibly, improving the mental and physical well-being of a loved one.
Psychology Today
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